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L. H. MQOULL'OUGH. MULTIPLE SIGNAL BOX FOR FIRE AND POLICE TELEGRAPHS.

% No. 316,477. Patented Apr. 28, 1885.

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MULTIPLESIGN'AL BOX FOR FIRE AND POLICE TELEGRAPHS. No. 316,477.Patented Apr, 28, 1885.

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VNITED STATES AIlENT tribe.

LEWIS H. MOOULLOUGH, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE RIGH- MONDFIRE ALARM COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MULTIPLE SIGNAL-BOX FOR FIR: AND POLICE TELEGRAPHS.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters-Patent No. 316,477, dated April28, 1885.

Application filed August 5, 1884.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwrs H. MoGuLLoUeH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Richmond, in the county of \Vayne and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple Signal-Boxesfor Fire and Police Telegraphs; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to multiple signal-boxes for tire and policetelegraphs; audit consists in certain improvements whereby I am enabledto put my multiple signaling apparatus into compact form, and at thesame time to keep the fire-alarm apparatus apart from that designed tobe used in sending signals for police, policepatrols, 850., so that onlythose can send in the latter class of signals who are entrusted withspecial keys, in addition to those required to secure access to theapparatus for sending in alarms of fire.

My invention also consists of improvements 2 in means for preventingminute particles of dust, fiber, or other substance from being depositedon the contact-points of my circuitcontrolling apparatus, and sointerfering with their proper operation.

My boxes are especially intended for use in connection with mynon-interfering fire-telegraph system for which I have filed applicationfor Letters Patent of an even date herewith, although they may be usedwith any system, it 5 being easily possible to adapt them to open orclosed circuit use.

It is now common in cities and large towns which maintain a force ofpolice to have in easily accessible places, but at a distance from 49the fire-alarm signal-boxes, means for calling the police orpolice-patrols.

The object of having the two kinds of signaling apparatus separate andapart is that the power to call the policeand police-patrols 5 may bewholly in the handset police agents. Now, other persons besides thepolice being often intrusted with the keys to fire-alarm signal-boxes,it has heretofore been thought necessary to keep the two apparatuses inseparate (Nu model.)

boxes at some distance apart. I combine them 50 in one compact apparatusin which a single motor operates either class of signals, as may bedesired.

- In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification,Figure l is a front 5 elevation of my multiple signal-box, the doorsattached to the shaft and barrel, respectively.

Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detail views, and Fig. 6- 9 shows my boxapplied to a system.

I inclose my multiple signal apparatus in an iron box, S, divided intotwo compartments, as shown, which box is inclosed in a larger iron box,T, (seeFigs. 7 and 9,) similar to those now in common use infire-telegraph systems. Keys to this larger box may be held by allpersons authorized to send any kind of signals within the capacty of theapparatus.

In one compartment of the box S (here the upper) I place myfire-alarm-signaling apparatus and in the other compartment my apparatusfor sending signals for police and policepatrols. The fire-alarmapparatus which I show in the upper compartment is substantially thesame as that which I employ in sepa-- rate fire-alarm signal-boxesdesigned to be used for sending fire-alarm signals only. The principaldeviation from that form of apparatus lies in the arrangement of thespring-mo- 8' tor X, which in this case is attached to a shaft, F, fordriving the fire-alarm-sigualiug apparatus, and to a barrel, H, fordriving the policealarm-signaling apparatus. The spring X opcratessuitable gearing to drive the circuitmaking wheels D D in a manner wellunderstood.

It is obvious that the gearing for operating either signaling apparatusmay be actuated indifferently from the barrel or the shaft.

Referring more especially to the upper part ofFig. 1, D represents anotched wheel, which operates the circuitmaking apparatus through 1lever E. The wheel Dis so notched as to make and break an electriccircuit through the lever E a definite number of times,and thereby tosend to the different engine-houses a definite signal, the wheel D ineach signal-box being differently notched to correspond to the number ofthe box. and is caused to press against the periphery of the wheel D bythe spring f, which is attached to the lever E and to the frame B, whichsupports the apparatus within the box. When the wheel D is free torotate under the intlu-' ence of the spring X, the point e of the leverE is brought by the spring f successively into the notches d d d, 850.,and thereby operates the circuit-maker, as will be more fully set forthhereinafter. The spring X is normally prevented from acting to rotatethe wheel D by a detent, a, attached to the rod 0, Fig. 6. This detentstands normally in the path of a stop, g, on the gear-wheel G, Fig. 5.The rod 0, however, which may be called the push-rod or releasing-rod,can be moved longitudinally in its bearings; and when it is movedinward,

by pressing on the button 0 on its outer end, the detent a is moved outof the path of the stop 9. This releases the gearing, and the spring Xisfree to actuate the wheel D. A spring, a, restores the rod 0 to itsnormal positionafter it has been pushed in to release the signalingmechanism. The wheels of the-gearing are so proportioned that while thewheel G is making one revolution, before it is brought to rest byitsstop 9 coming into contact with the detenta, the wheel D will make fourcomplete revolutions, and cause the signal representing the number ofany given station to be given four times in succession. The button 0 ofthe rod 0 can be reached as soon as the door of the inclosing-box isopened. The opposite end of the rod 0 is squared and passes into asquare hole in the frame B, so as not to beturned when the stop 9 comesagainst the detent a.

Coming, now, to describe the means by which the lever E operates thecircuit-making apparatus, it will be seen that a clip, h, is attached tothe lever E, and that by the said clip the conducting-rod t, insulatedwhere it 'passes under the clip by a hard-rubber covering, 0, (see Fig.8,) is fixed to the lever, so as to move with it. Attached to one end ofthis rod z is a binding-post, Z. The rod i extends into a glass tube, m,which is hermetically sealed at one end by the sleeve n, ofhard rubber,fitting over the tube and the rod z, and at its opposite extremity bybeing closed directly'around the'rod i, a part of which lies within thetube. The ends of the rods i i are normally out of contact with eachother in the tube; but when the pointe of the lever E falls or is drawninto one of the notches d d d, 810., during the rotation of the wheel D,the lever E presses the rod a down into contact with t", andtherebycompletes an electric circuit. I prefer to make the wheel D closethe circuit intermediately through the lever The lever E is pivoted ate,

E and the rod i,.it being easier with this construction to surround thecontacts with a dustproof chamber. It would not, however, be a departurefrom my invention to employ a contact-spring and a wheel with conductingand non-conducting portions with which the spring Should make contact.The tube m may be made of any good insulating material; but I preferglass, as-it enables me to observe at all times the condition of thecontact-surfaces.

The operation of the separate parts above described has already beenindicated,and their joint operation may be briefly set forth as follows,it being understood that the keys to the inclosing-boxes T are giveninto the charge of policemen or other responsible persons whose duty itis to send in an alarm in case of fire.

The outer box being open, the operator desiring to give an alarm of firepresses upon the button 0, and thereby pushes in the rod 0 and itsattached detent a, removing the latter from the path of the stop 9 onthe gear-wheel G. By this operation the clock-work gearing is releasedand the wheel D begins to rotate. Meanwhile, as soon as the pressure isremoved from the button 0, the rod 0 is restored to its normal positionby the spring c,an d the detent a is ready to engage the stop 9 when thewheel G shall have made a complete revolution.- The wheel D continues torotate until it has made four revolutions, when, the gear-wheel G havingcompleted one revolution, the apparatus is brought to rest by the detenta engaging the stop g, as alreadyindicated. During the rotations of thewheel D the point e of the lever E is drawn by the spring f into thenotches d d d, &c., and every time it is so drawn it pushes the end ofthe conducting-rodi against that of the conducting-rod 13, within theairtight tube m, closing the line-circuit.

It is clear that for every time the button 0 is pressed a signalrepresenting the number of the sending-station will be transmitted overthe line four times. It is also clear that,since the contact is madewithin an air-tight chamber, there is no possibility of dust or otherminute particles obstructing or deranging the operation of the electriccircuit-making apparatus, for it is not possible that particles of dustshould enter where the air is excluded.

I may make the chamber m simply dustproof in substantially the mannerdescribed, or I may also provide means for preventing theinjuriouseffects of sparking on the contactsurfaces by exhausting the air fromthe chamber and maintaining a vacuum therein. Even if the vacuum shouldnot be perfect at first, a

few sparks would burn out the oxygen and prevent any future wasting ofthe contacts,

I shall call the above-described circuit-con: trolling apparatus, a keycircuit-controller having its contact points or surfaces inclosed in adust-proof chamber to distinguish it from thermostaticcircuitcontrollers in which a sealed chamber incloses circuit-terminalsone of which is an expansible conducting-liquid.

The apparatus in the lower compartment of IIO . frame B and the wheel Dsaid shaft is accomplished by means of a setscrew, 19, running throughtheir hub and into a longitudinal slot in the shaft y. The outer end ofthe said shaft has a quick screw-thread, and a hand or pointer, L,having its hub correspondingly screw-threaded, is mounted thereon. Thehub thus forms a nut on the end of the shaft y. A spring, Z, bearingagainst the presses the hub of the latter normally out against that ofthe hand or pointer L. By turning the hand or pointer in onedirection-say to the right-the.

wheels D will be forced inward against the power of the spring Z, and byturning it in the opposite direction the wheels will be moved outward bythe force of the spring, and the successive turnings may be so graduatedthat one of them shall bring the outer of the two wheelsrD under the end6 of the lever E, and the other shall bring the inner wheel under thesame point. Stops e 1) project from the frame to limit the motion of thehand at the proper point. The notches in the outer wheel D are arrangedin twos, and there are four pairs of notches around the periphery of thewheel. The notches of the inner wheel D are arranged similarly, inthrees, there being four sets of three about the wheel. The firstnotches in the two wheels coincide, as shown in Fig. 2. The wheels D arenotched alike in all the boxes.

The wheel G in the police-alarm apparatus has two stops 9 atdiametrically opposite points which lie in the path of the detent a. Theapparatus is accordingly stopped after the wheel G has made ahalf-revolution-that is, after the wheels D have made two completerevolutions. This will cause the signals representing calls for policeor police-patrols to be sent in eight times each.

' It is evident that I may vary the number and arrangement of thenotches in the wheels D without departing from the main features of myinvention.

I have shown and described only two wheels D upon the shaft '2 for thereason that I have especially designed my box to serve the purposes oflire and police telegraph.

If it should be desired to apply my signaling apparatus to districttelegraphy in general, any desired number of resenting a distinct want,might be mounted on the shaft y by lengthening the shaft somewhat andextending the screw-threaded pertion so as to give more play to the handor pointer L. The stops 2; 1) should then be removed, and the properdirections givenon a dial-face behind the pointer for pointer so as tobring the line with the lever E.

proper wheel in wheels, each repmoving the Instead of wheels, I may usea drum having two or more series of contacts arranged around its outersurface. The upper compartment of the box S has a glass cover, J,through which the rod 0 projects. The rod 0 in the lower compartment isshorter than that in the upper, and with its button 0 is entirelyconcealed by the metal cover K of the lower compartment. Any personhaving a key to the outer box, which incloses the box S, can send in analarm of fire by pressing on the button a of the upper rod, 0, whichbut- .ton is exposed as soon as the door of the outer practicalseparation of the two classes of signaling apparatus, while at the sametime I combine them into so compact a structure that they can be easilyplaced in boxes of the size now commonly employed as fire-alarmsignalboxes.

It will be observed that the two apparatuses are operated by a singlemotor. One of the battery-wires enters at bindingpost Pand passes toeach of the binding-posts Z, attached to the outer end of the rods 2'.The other battery-wire enters at binding-post I and passes to each ofthe binding-posts Z, attached to the outer ends of the rods 1'.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a signal-boxfor firealarm telegraphs, the combination of the wheel D, pivoted leverE, rods '6 and 2', one of which slides in airtight bearings, and theexhausted tube m, whereby dust is prevented from collecting on thecontact-surfaces and positive contact is made when thecireuit-controller is operated, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with a signal-wheel adapted to open or close anelectric circuit and suitable gearing therefor, a second signal-wheel,also adapted to open or close an electric circuit, and separate gearingtherefor, and a motor for operating either set of gearing.

3. The signal-wheel D, and suitable gearing for operating the same,connected with the shaft F, the signal-wheels D, and suitable gearingfor operating the same connected with the barrel H, and a motorconnected with both shaft and barrel.

4. The circuit-wheels D, movable along the shaft 3 and the contact-leverE, in combination with the screw-threaded shaft 3/, and the nut or hubL, and the spring Z, whereby the position of the wheels D on the shaft ymay be adjusted.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS H. MOOULLOUGH.

Witnesses:

WM. M. STOOKBRIDGE. WARREN O. STONE.

ICC

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